Bilbo the Hobbit-Kitty
by Angel-eyes56
Summary: Bilbo knew that travelling with dwarves and a wizard was going to be an interesting journey, he just didn't expect for that journey to include him being turned into a kitty! With their small hobbit now a tiny, nearly helpless kitten, the dwarves realise how many dangers, both real and imagined, there are out in the world that could hurt the newly made hobbit-kitty.
1. Chapter 1

**Beta: **RoyalLadyEmma  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Hobbit, if I did it would have had a much happier ending.

**Chapter 1**

It had been young Kili of all dwarves who'd started it. He had been bothering Gandalf since they'd finished breakfast to show them some kind of magic – any kind, Kili wasn't particular – he just wanted to see something amazing. Bilbo was convinced that when the wizard finally agreed it was only – and there was no nice way of putting it – to shut the young dwarf up. After all Kili had been pleading for five hours straight and there was only so much pestering even a kindly old wizard could take.

"Please! Just one little spell!" Kili had unleashed the full effect of his puppy-dog eyes on the wizard who was rubbing his forehead with frustration. "Please?"

Bilbo beginning to worry about the young dwarf's health as Gandalf's right eye began to tick, a sure sign that the older man was beginning to lose patience, and he turned his attention to the one dwarf who may be able to stop Kili. "Fili, is there any way to make him stop? I'm afraid that Gandalf might do something to him if Kili doesn't stop bothering him and soon."

Fili glanced down at the worried hobbit then over to where Gandalf did indeed seem to be twitching more noticeably. "I'm afraid when Kili gets like that there is no stopping him," the blond prince sighed. "It would be easier for everyone if Gandalf just gave in, it would spare him the Kili-sized headache he is getting."

"Master Kili, if I agree to show you one spell will you promise to cease your endless chattering and be silent for the rest of the day?" Gandalf looked down at the smaller hobbit from his greater height, his eyes stern.

Everyone blinked in surprise at Gandalf's sudden capitulation; he couldn't _really _be serious about giving into Kili's demand, could he?

Always quick to adapt, Kili was the first to get over his shock before a bright smile over took his face. "Yes! You have my word, Gandalf! I won't say another word to you for the rest of the day," he agreed happily excitedly bouncing on the spot. "I promise!"

"The things I must endure for a little peace and quiet," Gandalf muttered under his breath as he realised what the others already knew, that yes, this was the only way to get a moment of peace from and overly curious Kili.

Bouncing on his toes like the overly eager puppy he resembled Kili nearly pulled Fili and Bilbo's arms out of their sockets as he dragged the two of them to stand next to him. Now the trio had a front row view to see the spell that Gandalf was about to do for them.

It was only later Bilbo realised that he should have stopped Kili or at least told him he was fine just where he was, but his own eagerness to see the spell overwhelmed his senses. _'You know what they say about hind sight; it's always twenty-twenty.'_

Later, no matter how hard he tried to recall what happened, a flash of light that was all that Bilbo remembered before he heard a set of words that no one _ever _wanted to hear:

"Oh dear, that's not supposed to happen."

Those were the words no one wanted to hear, least of all from a wizard who could do the most incredible feats of alchemy and magic in an instant.

It no doubt goes without saying that Bilbo Baggins, a simple hobbit from the Shire who had just been hit by the wizard's spell, was probably the one person who wanted to hear them the least.

Bristling like a mad hare, Bilbo turned towards where he'd last heard Gandalf's voice, ready to give the wizard a piece of his mind, only to stop as he came face-to-face with said wizard's shoe.

Everyone stared in absolute amazement, for where once stood their burglar now crouched a small orange and white ball of fluff otherwise known as a...

"Kitty!" Kili cried out happily as he scooped the tiny ball of fur into his arms and cuddled the kitten close to his body.

A little stunned at the sudden change in size and perspective, Bilbo allowed the young dwarf to hold him; in fact he took a great deal of comfort from being pressed against Kili's chest and the dwarf was very warm.

"Gandalf! What have you done to my burglar?" Thorin demanded, his voice thundering through the treetops as he stared at the tiny orange creature that his youngest nephew was currently snuggling with.

Bilbo's newly acquired and rather sensitive kitty ears flattened against his skull at Thorin's angry roar.

Kili shifted and covered Bilbo's ears with his hand. "Uncle, your scaring Bilbo! If you're going to yell do it away from our hobbit-kitty," Kili demanded as he turned his attention to Bilbo. "Who's an adorable little hobbit-kitty? You are that's who."

Thorin could only stare at his youngest nephew who had just dismissed him to focus on the newly-turned kitty held snug in his arms.

"Hey! Don't you dare hog Bilbo!" Overcome with jealousy, Fili darted forward and tried his best snatch Bilbo out of his brother's arms.

In response Kili tightened his grip on Bilbo and darted just out of his brother's reach. "No way! I saw him first."

Bilbo was beginning to grow more distressed the longer that Fili and Kili fought over him and a tiny but insistent meow escaped his mouth. Just as he was contemplating using his needle-sharp claws to make himself heard, he was rescued by the most unlikely of saviours.

"Oi! Hand him over, now! You're going to drop or worse, you'll crush his little body," Dwalin growled as he reached in and gently plucked Bilbo out of Kili's hands. "Until you two can be trusted with our newly changed hobbit you will have limited and supervised time with Bilbo."

Fili and Kili's disappointed pouts were completely wasted on Dwalin as he had already turned away and was giving the two sulking princes his back. Ignoring them completely, he instead focused all of his attention on the kitty who was staring up at him with immense awe and just the tiniest hint of fear. "Don't worry, little one, I don't plan on dropping you," the dwarf promised in a soft voice as he gently cradled Bilbo against his chest.

Slowly Bilbo began to relax as Dwalin ran his fingers through his fur and scratched behind his ears. It only took a few moments before a rather loud purr tore itself free from Bilbo's mouth as he melted into a boneless mess in Dwalin's arms; everything the dwarf was doing felt so good Bilbo completely relaxed.

Silence fell around the campsite as everyone watched Dwalin draw another such loud purr from the newly-changed hobbit. Sensing everyone's eyes on him Dwalin lifted his gaze off of the kitten in his arms, turned back around and favoured everyone who was looking at him funny with a glare. "What?" he barked out indignantly.

Balin shook his head with mock exasperation; he knew his brother's great love of animals and children very well and he so was not at all surprised with how gently Dwalin was handling the small creature. Balin held up his hands in surrender; "Nothing brother, it's all good. I just think many of them aren't used to seeing your softer side," he helpfully pointed out with a smile.

A slightly embarrassed scowl graced Dwalin's face as he grumbled at them. "Yeah, well…"

While the others were coming to terms with seeing this new side of Dwalin's personality, Bilbo was beginning to have a small panic attack.

_'I'm a kitten!'_ Bilbo wasn't sure how he should feel about that, after all it's not every day one went from being a hobbit one second to being a kitten the next, one small enough that he managed to fit snuggly in the palm of a dwarf.

"So am I the only one who wishes to know how long our hobbit is going to stay a kitten? Because let's face it, if Bilbo in his normal hobbit form had little to no chance against Smaug then as a wee tiny kitten he's doomed for certain." Bofur piped up with a truth none of the others had even considered.

No one noticed the tiny growl that escaped Thorin when Bofur called Bilbo _their_ hobbit.

Stroking his beard in thoughtful consideration, Gandalf studied the nervous orange kitten in Dwalin's arms. "Well, to begin with, I have no idea how this happened and trust me I will figure it out, but I wouldn't worry about him too much; the spell should wear off in about a week, give or take a day or two."

A terrified meow escaped Bilbo's mouth and he dug his claws into Dwalin's hand. He didn't want to be a kitten at all, not for a day and certainly not for an entire week! The world was already terrifying enough when he was a hobbit, thank you very much, but as a tiny kitten it was far, far worse. _'Never mind the Smaug; I'm more likely to be stepped on by one of these oafs and squashed like a bug long before the Smaug even find out I'm so vulnerable!'_

Dwalin felt Bilbo's tiny claws dig into the unprotected flesh on his hands and he could clearly feel Bilbo shivering against him in terror at the idea of being stuck like this for any length of time. Dwalin felt an unexpected sense of protectiveness wash over him; "Then until our hobbit is back to normal he is under my protection," the tattooed dwarf declared with a finality that dared anyone to argue with him.

Everyone was stunned by Dwalin's declaration, none more than Bilbo but that feeling quickly gave way to a sense of warmth and safety. The newly-made kitten-hobbit knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would be safe with the dwarf and Bilbo began to purr and knead his soft little paws against his saviour's skin, showing Dwalin his acceptance of protection.

In vain Thorin tried to ignore the sharp pain in his chest as he watched Bilbo cuddle deeper into Dwalin's embrace. _'It's not fair! If_ _anyone should be cuddling with our hobbit-kitten it should be_ _me!'_

Dwalin glared at everyone daring each one in turn to say anything against his offer of protection, but his gaze lingered on Thorin the longest; he could see a hint of challenge in his best friend eyes. He wasn't blind, he knew the reasons why Thorin often acted like a jerk around their hobbit but all he could do was tell Thorin to attempt to be nice to Bilbo. Maybe that way the hobbit would stop getting that scared-little-rabbit-look in his eyes whenever he so much as glanced at the dwarf king.

As much as Thorin wanted to raise a protest over Dwalin being the only one to look after Bilbo he knew that if he did, it would raise unwanted questions amongst the others about why _he_ should be the one who looked after Bilbo. Another thought struck the king, _'Besides if it isn't Dwalin looking after him then Fili and Kili will offer and I think my hobbit is in safer hands with my brother.' _Thorin didn't have much of a choice as he reluctantly bowed his head and said, "Very well, you will be in charge of caring for our burglar."

"Hobbit-kitty," Kili piped up at that moment and Thorin gazed at his nephew with a confused look in his eyes. "Bilbo's not our burglar, uncle, he's now our hobbit-kitty," Kili declared with a firm nod.

"I like it." Fili piped up his agreement; he really liked the sound of that name, and he repeated it softly, "hobbit-kitty, yeah!"

Thorin could feel the beginnings of a headache forming and he knew if he didn't agree to call Bilbo their hobbit-kitty his two sister-sons would sulk and pout for the rest of the day. He'd been though that before and had absolutely no desire to experience it again; with a quick eye-roll, he agreed. "Fine, Bilbo is now our hobbit-kitty. Does anyone else have an problem with that?" he demanded as he looked around at the others.

A growly, protesting meow came from the small orange and white ball of fur in Dwalin's arms. A smirk appeared on the dwarf's face as he glanced down at the hissing kitten and he noticed that Bilbo's angry yellow eyes were firmly locked on Thorin. "I do think there is one here who has a problem with being called a hobbit-kitty."

A slow mischievous smirk appeared on Thorin's face causing Bilbo to arch his back and hiss furiously; his hair was standing on end and his tail had grown to the size of a bottle-brush. He just knew that that blasted yet gorgeous dwarf was going to keep that blasted nickname just to annoy him. "Yes, I think hobbit-kitty fits our new addition perfectly," Thorin declared with a toothy grin.

Another angry hiss tore itself free from Bilbo's tiny mouth before he decided to show Thorin his displeasure and doing the only thing a wee creature currently be cuddled by a dwarf could do, he turned around as best he could in Dwalin's arms and gave Thorin his back. _'So there!' _he snorted as he settled in for a nap.

Fili and Kili forced themselves to smother their laughter as Bilbo blatantly shunned their uncle and even more so when they saw the look of utter shock that appeared in their uncle's eyes. As king, Thorin was not used to being ignored or slighted by anyone, but to be put in his place by a hobbit-kitty was… well, simply unthinkable! Sharing a look that said "We should get away from him," the two brothers quickly made their way over to Dwalin's side.

Sensing eyes on him Bilbo lifted his head abandoned his attempt to sleep and blinked wearily up at the two brothers peering at him eagerly. His brain may have suddenly become the smallest of the group but that didn't mean he was fooled by the innocent look in their eyes; they wanted something.

"Can we please hold you, Bilbo?" Kili pleading using his famous puppy-dog eyes, the ones that he knew their hobbit couldn't say no to, and, Bilbo suddenly recalled, the very ones that had gotten him into this mess in the first place.

If Bilbo knew how to speak cat, he would have cursed up a storm as Kili's brown eyes widened and began to water slightly and he knew it was over; he was so completely helpless against that look. He didn't dare look at Fili, knowing full well that the blond dwarf was giving him a similar look. With a tiny sigh of exasperated surrender, he nodded his furry head and let out a tiny meow as Fili snatched him away from Dwalin's arms.

"Careful now, remember he's fragile, you can't squeeze him or treat him rough, okay?" Dwalin reminded them.

"He really is a tiny thing, isn't he?" Fili commented as he gazed down at the kitten in his arms, smiling as Bilbo gazed back at him and his tiny ear flickered in acknowledgement.

"And much more breakable," Bofur pointed out. "I have a feeling that our hobbit-kitty would make a tasty snack for old Smaug," he added rather cheerfully.

Terror ran through Bilbo's tiny kitten body at the mention of the dragon and all his hair stood on end as he automatically tried to make himself look bigger and scarier than he really was. Feeling Bilbo shiver against him Fili tucked him in closer to his body and stroked a comforting hand along his side. "Stop that," he chided. "You're frightening Bilbo and besides, there's no need to mention the dragon because there is no way that Kili or I will allow Bilbo to face Smaug like this!" Fili declared fervently. Next to him Kili nodded his head in agreement as he took a brave and protective stance next to his brother and Bilbo.

A grateful meow escaped Bilbo's lips as he looked up at the two dwarf princes with gratitude shining in his honey-coloured eyes.

It took all of Fili and Kili's princely training to stop them from cooing all over the kitten, well, that and the knowledge that the group would never let them live it down if they did.

"You do know that until Bilbo changes back, you cannot travel; the journey is far too dangerous for such a small kitten," Gandalf stated as he came to stand next to the two protective young dwarves.

"What are you suggesting, wizard?" Thorin did not like the tone of Gandalf's voice.

"Rivendell is nearby and I believe it's the safest place for Bilbo until he changes back," Gandalf suggested wisely.

In Fili's arms it did not escape anyone's attention at the way Bilbo perked right up at the mention of elves, something which earned him a scowl from all the dwarves present and none was darker than Thorin's.

"I hate to say it, laddie, but Gandalf is right; we need to stay somewhere safe until Bilbo returns to his former self." Balin could see the wizard's point; there were many dangers out there and for a helpless kitten they would be even greater. _'Plus, there is the whole fact that I do not wish to face the wizard's wrath should anything happen to young Bilbo. I wouldn't forgive myself_ _if our hobbit-kitten were to get hurt,' _the older dwarf thought to himself.

As the dwarf king, Thorin greatly disliked asking the elves for _anything_, but Bilbo's life was in their hands and he could not deny that Gandalf and Balin were right. This journey would be too dangerous with a kitten aboard and they really did need their burglar back to his normal self before they reach Erebor. "How do you know that the elves will grant us sanctuary?" Thorin asked reluctantly; he had very little hope of the elves offering them anything more than a slammed door in their faces.

Gandalf looked to the sky. "Save me from the stubbornness of dwarves," he pleaded with the powers that be. "I've told you before Lord Elrond is not your enemy, Thorin Oakenshield, and it would serve you well to remember that. They will give you shelter."

"I don't like the situation any more than you do, brother, but we do need our burglar whole and back as his normal hobbity self before we can even think of continuing on," Dwalin whispered lowly to Thorin; still it wasn't low enough and Bilbo's ears flickered as he caught Dwalin's statement.

_'I am not hobbity!' _Bilbo thought sourly to himself. _'See if I cuddle with him again.' _In that moment Bilbo decided he would only allow Fili, Kili, Gandalf, Ori and Balin anywhere near him. _'Hobbity indeed!'_

Fili glanced down at Bilbo when heard the small huff that escaped the hobbit-kitten's mouth. "I don't think Bilbo is too happy with Uncle right now," he whispered softly to his brother.

Kili fought the urge to sigh with irritation; their uncle was making no progress with wooing their hobbit and darn it all, he wanted a hobbit uncle by the time they reached Erebor! "Uncle is rather hopeless at this whole love thing, isn't he?"

Fili nodded his head. "Indeed he is, brother; you know what this means, don't you?"

A look of pure mischief entered Kili's eyes. "That we're going to have to do something about it?"

"Oh yeah!"

Bilbo didn't know why but the look of gleeful mischief that the brother's exchanged had him shivering in pure terror; he knew very well just how imaginative the boys could be when they wanted something.

As the rest of the group stood about uncomfortably, trying not to stare, Thorin and Gandalf were engaged in a silent contest of wills until finally Thorin growled, "Very well! We shall head for your elves, but I will be expecting an apology when we are turned away."

"And yet I hold out no hope of getting one from you, Thorin Oakenshield, when I am proven right," Gandalf shot back. _'Oh yes this is going to be a rather fun visit. I do hope Elrond will forgive me for unleashing dwarves upon his fair Rivendell.' _

From his perch in Fili's arms Bilbo perked right up as he heard the two come to an uneasy alliance; after all he was finally going to see real elves!

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

**Beta: **RoyalLadyEmma  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Hobbit, if I did it would have had a much happier ending.

**Chapter 2**

It quickly became clear that the dwarves, including Thorin, were a little paranoid about the unknown dangers that awaited the small hobbit-turned-kitten in the wild. Once the troupe set off for Rivendell, Bilbo didn't set a single paw on the ground unless he needed to go to the bathroom and even then Bilbo suspected that someone was keeping an unobtrusive eye on him. It didn't upset him, though, because Bilbo knew that the dwarves were really just looking out for him. They feared he would injure himself if they were to let him roam freely seeing that there were rocks even bigger than him littering the roadway in places.

It all made Bilbo wonder how they would have acted if they had had to face the trolls with him as a hobbit-kitty and then he quickly put a stop to that train of thought. He didn't want to imagine what would have happened to his wonderful dwarves if he hadn't been able to stall the trolls until Gandalf could break the stone shining the sunlight onto them thereby turning them into stone.

Right from the start Fili, Kili and Ori shared the duty of caring Bilbo equally although the hobbit-kitten knew that the three young ones were the most excited about caring for him and playing with him. Bilbo refused to play favourites, allowing the others their moments to pat him, but it did hurt his feelings that the dwarf he cared about more than any of the others merely shot him looks when he didn't think the hobbit would notice.

Next to the younger dwarfs Bilbo enjoyed being around Dwalin the most, as the dwarf allowed him some freedom and didn't expect cuddles all the time. It quickly became a habit that once Kili, Fili and Ori had fallen asleep for the night Bilbo would wiggle out of the arms of whoever was holding him that night and make his way over to Dwalin for a quiet night time cuddle. And if Thorin just happened to be seated next to Dwalin well Bilbo didn't truly mind. Plus it turned out even Thorin couldn't resist the pleading of a wee fluffy kitten with big amber-coloured eyes and a squeaky little meow. More than once he'd actually gotten the dwarf king to pet him, but only when the king was sure the others were asleep. Bilbo didn't mind that they were stolen moments with Thorin, but it did hurt his feelings quite a bit to know that Thorin was able to accept him in kitten form while rejecting his regular hobbit self.

From his spot across the fire Balin shared a knowing look with his brother as Bilbo hopped up in the empty space between Thorin and Dwalin, accidentally on purpose laying a little closer to Thorin than he did last time. Neither of them missed the way Thorin immediately shifted just the slightest so he was closer to Bilbo without making it look too obviously like he was trying to get closer to the hobbit-kitten.

_'Aye, at the rate they are moving Erebor will be long claimed and restored to its glory before either one of them thinks of making a move.' _Balin knew Thorin well enough to know that his king just didn't see and therefore refused to believe that Bilbo liked him as much more than a friend. He also knew that Bilbo was too afraid of being rejected by Thorin to come forward and say anything. _'Given the way Thorin has treated our burglar since they met it will have to be Thorin who makes the first move but unfortunately I don't see that happening for a long time. Still…' _Balin couldn't help but turn a speculative gaze onto the wizard who was creating the most fantastically imaginative things with each puff of his pipe smoke, _'perhaps this accident was not such an accident after all.' _

Dwalin couldn't keep the grin off his face as he watched Bilbo curl up into a small ball on the edge of Thorin's fur cloak, nor could he miss the chance to annoy his love sick friend at the soft look and gentle smile that appeared in Thorin's eyes as Bilbo began to drift off. "You know if ye had been nicer to our burglar from the start you might have a hobbit curling into your side instead of a kitten."

Thorin scowled at Dwalin and refused to pay any more attention to his snickering friend; he would have moved away regally, not stalked majestically away like Dwalin liked to claim he did, but he didn't want to disturb Bilbo. He settled for hissing quietly but ferociously, "Shut up, Dwalin!"

Dwalin just grinned at his friend with a knowing look in his eyes that made thoroughly irritated Thorin and made him want to reach over Bilbo and hit him. Dwalin wondered how much longer his friend could deny the truth about what he felt about the hobbit. _'I wonder how long your denial will last now that you have to watch Bilbo hanging all over those blasted elves.' _

Not one member of the rag-tag travelling company had missed the way Bilbo's eyes lit up whenever he talked about those tree shaggers, and not even Thorin was immune to jealousy. if In fact they had been so sure that Thorin's emotional self-control would snap and he would claim Bilbo right there and then. There were even a number of secret wagers amongst the troupes but to their immense disappointment, all the king did was scowl deeply at the hobbit before stalking off into the trees, where he sat and stared off into the distance.

No, Dwalin was convinced that Thorin would find a way to make sure that from the moment they arrived in Rivendell the elves knew Bilbo was taken, even if the hobbit-kitten himself didn't know it. _'Huh, this visit to the elves might not be so bad if I get to watch a frustrated Thorin trying to ignore and claim Bilbo all at the same time.' _Dwalin knew it wasn't nice to take pleasure out of his friend's suffering but this was a suffering his friend had brought on himself and like a good friend, he was going to enjoy it.

* * *

Not trusting the safety or anonymity of the more well-travelled roads Gandalf led the dwarves along a lesser known route, one that coincidentally led them to meeting his fellow wizard, Radagast the Brown. Radagast was a rather strange wizard who was more in tune with nature and animals than with his fellow man, but the two had been friends for decades. Radagast enjoyed a rather pleasant and lengthy conversation with Bilbo, after which he informed the dwarves that Bilbo was _not_ 'hobbity'. Unfortunately, despite his vast experience with animals of every shape, size and breed, Radagast just could not figure out a way to turn the kitten back into a hobbit.

Radagast joined the travelling band for dinner, during which Gandalf learned the disturbing news of a dark presence that was slowly over taking Mirkwood. After the meal had been finished and clean-up was over, Radagast pulled Gandalf away from the group and after a long, sometimes emotional conversation, Radagast gave his old friend something he had found in Dol Guldur. Gandalf had quickly concealed the object in his robes but everyone noticed that whatever it was, it definitely set the wizard on edge.

Before anyone could ask what was going on an eerie howl pierced the air sending a trembling Bilbo to curl up in Fili's arms but rather than cuddle with the hobbity-kitten like he wanted, the blond dwarf prince shifted him to his shoulder. "Dig your claws in, little guy, and hang on tight as you can," Fili ordered. He knew there was no way that Bilbo's tiny claws could do any harm to _him_ but the weave of the fabric would give the hobbit-kitty something he could grip easily.

Bilbo didn't hesitate to do just what Fili ordered and from his perch, he watched as Gandalf questioned Thorin regarding who he had told about their quest. The dwarf king vehemently denied telling anyone but it was obvious that the wizard didn't believe him. To make matters worse, Gandalf loudly declared to one and all that they were being hunted although he didn't say by whom. As a final blow, Ori suddenly shouted at them that their ponies had just bolted and that they were all on their own.

Before he started travelling with the dwarves Bilbo had only seen fighting during that horrible Fell Winter when he'd lost both his parents to the wolves. With those images flooding his memory, Bilbo flattened his little body and clung to Fili like a second skin as the group did their very best to avoid the wargs and orcs that were now hunting them.

Not surprisingly, it was Radagast who offered to lead the evil pursuers away so that Gandalf could get his men to safety. Bilbo and the dwarves weren't sure what was so special about the wizard's Rhosgabel rabbits until they watched with open-mouthed amazement as the lop-eared hares successfully led away the wargs and their riders away from them.

Somehow during chaos of losing their horses and the ensuing fight with the orcs they lost Gandalf until the wizard suddenly popped up from behind some boulders. "This way, you fools!" Gandalf shouted waving them on.

After they followed the wizard to the safety of a deep cavern, Thorin ordered them to explore the location and it was Dwalin who found the path way at the back of the cave. As they followed the winding trail through the mountain, Kili was helping his brother untangle a terrified hobbit-kitty from Fili's blond hair. Unfortunately for Fili, Bilbo wasn't at all interested in losing what he now considered a very safe place to be and he refused to cooperate. Between hissing, growling and reattaching his claws every chance he got, Bilbo was making the task very difficult, causing Fili to groan and flinch with pain every time Kili accidentally tugged on his hair.

"Sorry," Kili murmured the fifth time Fili winced, "but Bilbo is really scared and he just won't let go of you."

It wasn't until they emerged from the darkness of the tunnel into the bright light of day did Bilbo go lax and let Kili pluck him from his brother's shoulder. As the hobbit-kitty looked around, his eyes widened with amazement as he stared transfixed at his first sight of Rivendell.

Thorin scowled as he watched the look of intense awe growing in Bilbo's eyes; he really did not like the hobbit's fascination with the troublesome elves. _'The sooner we can get our burglar back to normal the sooner we can leave the elves behind.' _The dwarf king still did not share Gandalf's belief that the elves would be welcoming and helpful to them.

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

**Beta: **RoyalLadyEmma  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Hobbit, if I did it would have had a much happier ending.

**Chapter 3**

Bilbo's beautiful honey-coloured eyes were simply enormous with wonder as they darted about taking in everything he could see from his perch in Kili's arms and it was obvious from the way his tail was swishing around and twitching violently that he was getting very excited. Finally his intensely curious kitten nature completely overrode his normally cautious hobbit senses and at the sight of the elegant elf coming down the stairs Bilbo could no longer hold back. Without warning, he gathered himself up and taking a daring jump from Kili's arms.

"Bilbo!" Kili cried out in alarm as the small kitten launched himself into the air, gracefully landed on his feet and before anyone could catch him the hobbit-kitten darted towards the elf.

Ever the regal figure, Lindir merely blinked as he stared down at small orange and white kitten sniffing at the hems of his robes. "I'm sure there is a logical reason as to why you have brought a kitten along on your journey," Lindir stated to Gandalf as he bent down and scooped up the kitten. Raising him to eye-level, Lindir stared into honey-coloured eyes that looked back at him without flinching and the elf could see that there was a lot more knowledge and intelligence one usually found in a normal kitten. "I take it this is not your general run-of-the-mill kitten?"

"Indeed he is not," Gandalf let out a small smile. "Bilbo had an unfortunate accident with magic and our hobbit was inadvertently and temporarily turned into a kitten."

Hearing the wizard gloss over his part in the 'accident', Bilbo turned and shot Gandalf a look full of pure disdain and gave a tiny disappointed meow before turning his attention back to the elf holding him. His little body began vibrating strongly as he let out purr after purr; Bilbo was so intent on charming the elf that he never noticed the sulking posture of his dwarf companions or the increasingly sullen looks that they were casting at the elf.

Gandalf on the other hand saw the looks very clearly and fought the urge to smile; it would seem that the dwarves were not at all happy having to share their hobbit-kitten with the elves or the fact that Bilbo looked happy to meet them.

Without conscious thought, Lindir found himself stroking his fingers through Bilbo's soft fur and enjoying the soothing rumble of the purrs coming from the kitten when the sounds of horns filled the air singling the return of the other elves. He watched as the dwarves moved to form a self-protective circle and it did not escape his notice how they all looked back with great concern at the kitten in his arms.

Elrond was expecting a lot of things when he arrived back at Rivendell but the sight of Lindir holding an adorable kitten in his arms was most definitely not one of them. He tried – and failed – to keep the smirk off his face, "Who is your special little friend, Lindir?"

"Oi! He's _our_ hobbit-kitty so keep your sneaky elf paws off our Mr. Boggins!" Kili shouted from his spot within the group.

With a fond but exasperated shake of his head, Fili could only roll his eyes at his brother's demands; _'it's_ _so like Kili to speak before he thinks.' _

From his safe perch in Lindir's arms Bilbo the hobbit-kitten made a long suffering sigh, well... as long suffering as a wee kitten who used to be a brave young dwarf _can_ sound when he's forced to listen to the name Kili and Fili wouldn't stop calling him. _''Baggins! How hard is it to remember one simple word? It's BAGGIN'S!'_ Bilbo sulked in Lindir's arms.

Feeling the sudden tension in Bilbo's little body, Lindir felt inclined to point out, "I do believe that your hobbit-kitten is not pleased with you using his name wrong."

Elrond raised an eyebrow. "I have met a few hobbits in my time and I even befriended one once, a long time ago, but I have _never_ heard of a hobbit being able to turn into a kitten." He turned to face Gandalf with a knowing look. "I take it this is your doing?" he asked.

Knowing that Elrond was deliberately trying to be annoying, the wizard merely favoured him with a knowing smile. "It might have been my fault that young Bilbo got caught by my spell, but I assure you it never would have happened had someone who shall remain nameless not been begging me incessantly to do a spell." Gandalf shot a rather fierce look at Kili, "although in my own defence I must say that after facing the trolls I would have been more awake."

Even though deep down he felt badly over the part he'd played in Bilbo's transformation, Kili merely shrugged before turning his attention back to figuring out a way to get Bilbo back from the elves. _'I should have known the elves would want to hog_ our _hobbit-kitten!'_

Bilbo let out a tiny pathetic-sounding meow as he turned adoring eyes onto Elrond, and just as the hobbit had expected, the elf lord was like everyone else, completely was powerless against such an delightful and endearing look. Lindir immediately recognized the besotted look in his lord's eyes and as much as he really didn't want to share, he reluctantly held out the kitten. "Would you like to hold him, my lord?"

That simple question brought forth loud and possessive growls from the group of dwarfs behind them, none louder than Thorin's and it took all his resistance not to go marching forward and removing his hobbit-kitten from the elf's arms.

It did not escape Elrond's attention that when the dwarf king had emitted the most ferocious growl of the group the tiny kitten's ears had instantly flickered in Thorin's direction nor did he miss seeing the hopeful look that shone in the kitten's honey-coloured eyes. _'Well, well…' _Elrond considered this new bit of knowledge. _'It seems there is a budding love story in our midst. I know for a fact that dwarves are a possessive race and I wonder if this isn't part of Gandalf's plan? After all there is absolutely no way that a wizard of his calibre and experience would accidentally hit a hobbit with spell no matter how tired he might be. Crafty old Gandalf is playing matchmaker and I can't help but wonder why.' _Despite having hit the nail on the head, Elrond wasn't going to deny himself the chance to hold the adorable kitten. "If that's alright with young Bilbo," he directed his comment at the kitten in Lindir's arms.

A happy and much louder meow escaped Bilbo's mouth as he struggled in Lindir's arms wanting to reach the new elf. Chuckling with honest delight, Elrond reached out and took Bilbo into his arms before the kitten could break free from Lindir's hold and end up hurting himself.

With Bilbo settled comfortably in his arms Elrond turned to face the dwarves and Gandalf. "You are all more than welcome to stay here until the spell wears off and your hobbit returns to his normal form." As he spoke, the elf was gently scratching Bilbo's chin.

It was a well-known and historical fact that dwarves had always disliked elves but as Thorin and his company watched the elves of Rivendell coo over their hobbit-kitty that ancient dislike grew into outright hatred. Without a word being spoken, every dwarf drew his sword in anger as they watched Elrond cuddle Bilbo against his chest and walk off with him, an amused Lindir following after him.

Kili was the first one to break out of his shock. "Hey! Come back with our hobbit-kitten!" the dark-haired dwarf cried out in a commanding tone as he chased after Elrond.

Shaking himself out of his own shock Fili snagged Ori by the arm. "Come, Ori, we better catch up before my brother does something foolish." No one missed the blush that appeared on Ori's cheeks as he allowed the dwarf prince drag him along as they ran after his brother and their precious hobbit-kitten that had just been elf-napped.

"That sounds like a fine idea, who knows what fiendish things those elves might do to our burglar-kitten," Bofur piped up innocently. Thorin's eyes flew open with alarm as images of Bilbo being eaten or worse flashed across his mind and it was enough to make the king scowl his darkest before he followed after his nephews. Bofur whistled a cheery tune and winked knowingly at Nori before trailing after their fuming king.

See the frustration, worry and affection in Thorin's eyes as he dashed away, Dwalin couldn't help but smile in amusement; while he wasn't exactly happy about being around the elves he could already tell that this was going to be a rather amusing stay.

* * *

In the few minutes Bilbo had been out of the dwarves' sight, Lindir had somehow managed to produce a soft cushion upholstered in royal blue velvet for Bilbo to sit upon. Quite pleased with this turn of events, the hobbit-kitten sat rather next to Elrond's chair, gazing regally out over the others. Although his position brought forth another scowl from Thorin the dwarf king wasted no time in snatching up the spot right next to the hobbit turned kitten, thus making his claim clear.

Elrond merely raised an amused eyebrow as Thorin took the empty seat next to Bilbo; the dwarves had proven to be rather protective over the kitten that used to be a hobbit, but none more so than Thorin Oakenshield, even if the king did try to hide it. _'This shall be rather amusing to watch, just how long can you deny your feelings for the hobbit, Thorin Oakenshield, before your desires and possessiveness overcome you?' _

Settled comfortably on his fancy cushion, Bilbo was unaware of the tension rising between his dwarves and the elves. Usually very in tune with his surroundings, this time his kitten instincts had taken over and in typical feline fashion, now that he had the best place to sit, Bilbo was greedily soaking up all the attention he was getting; as it turned out, elves gave amazing chin scratches and Bilbo could already feel his body turning into a puddle of jelly.

Thorin wasn't jealous – no, he absolutely was not! – as he watched Lord Elrond slowly stroke one of Bilbo's ears or the loud purr that Bilbo was emitting as a result and the fact that the fork in the dwarf king's hand bent in half just went to prove how horrible elf craftsmanship was, nothing more. Nothing!

"Oh this is not good," Balin murmured under his breath; he had seen dwarves ruled by their possessive natures and he knew what the jealousy they felt over their loved ones paying any kind of attention to someone other than them could lead to.

Fili and Kili exchanged several looks between themselves as they watched their uncle bend his fork in half without even realising it; yeah, that was really not good. "Do you think we should do something before uncle ends up getting us thrown out and the elves keep Bilbo to themselves?" Fili whispered to his brother. He wouldn't have a problem in leaving Rivendell, it was the elves selfishly keeping Bilbo, because he knew the sneaky creatures would do just that, they were crafty like that, you know.

The idea of the elves keeping their hobbit-kitten shocked Kili to the core but then an idea struck him. "Maybe we should just steal Bilbo back, after all he was our hobbit-kitten first." Kili could hear a bit of a whine in his tone but he didn't care; he did not like having to share their hobbit-kitten just as much as their uncle didn't. He wouldn't mind be thrown out of Rivendell but there was no way they were leaving Bilbo behind to be corrupted by the elves.

That sounded like the perfect plan to Fili so decision made, the brothers shook hands, declaring "After we eat, we steal Bilbo away."

It wasn't too much longer before the meal was served and the two brothers ate far messier and more quickly than normal; while the elves wrinkled their noses in disgust at the smacking noises and dropped food, the dwarves – well, minus Thorin that is, who was too busy glaring at Elrond to notice what was going on around him – all caught on to what the boys were up to. As discretely as possible, each member of the troupe made their approval known and if anyone thought that Kili's heart did a strange fluttery little dance when Dwalin sent him a small smile they were most certainly right.

Thoroughly enjoying his cushiony seat and the delicious tidbits that both Lindir and Thorin kept putting down in front of him, Bilbo was having the time of his short furry cat life. _'I could live like this forever! I love being spoiled!'_ On the other hand, his hobbit side wouldn't let him become so self-absorbed that he didn't notice the faint colouring to Kili's cheeks and his furry ears twitched furiously as an odd, sweet scent reached his sensitive nostrils. The small kitten nearly fell off his luxurious perch as he realised that he was smelling arousal from both Kili and Dwalin, and he immediately felt his hackles rise. It took everything he had to fight the urge to hiss and growl his intense displeasure at this unexpected turn of events; his sweet young Kili was far too innocent to be thinking such adult thoughts.

Feeling his protective urges taking over Bilbo abandoned the latest morsel of food Lindir set out for him and instead, hopped down from his comfy pillow. Avoiding all the shuffling feet around him, the hobbit-kitty padded across the floor to Kili, where he gently stretched up on his hind quarters and pawed anxiously at Kili's leg. When the dwarf glanced down at him, Bilbo cast him a most beguiling look using his biggest pleading eyes.

Fili would forever hoard the squeal that Kili made as he quickly scooped Bilbo up into his arms for a cuddle. _'I always knew that Kili had a soft spot for animals but that sound is going to be perfect blackmail for a long time to come!' _ Yes, Fili would be getting much enjoyment out of that rather embarrassing response for years and years to come.

Kili heard the excited noise he'd made and he knew full well that his brother was going to hold that over him but, he suddenly realised, he really didn't care. Bilbo was just too adorable for words in his new form and when he looked up at him with those big round amber-coloured eyes just pleading to be held, well… Kili wanted to see his uncle try and say no to those eyes. It simply could not be done; no one, not even Thorin was that strong-willed. Uncaring about the meal before him Kili began running his fingers through Bilbo's soft fur earning a rather loud purr.

Just as Thorin began growling under his breath at the sight of _his _hobbit-kitty enjoying all the love and attention Kili was giving him Dwalin felt his anger starting to rise when he saw his dwarf caressing someone else. It didn't help matters whatsoever that Bilbo was deliberately purring up a storm, making sure that Dwalin could hear him quite clearly.

Watching the little soap opera play out in front of them, Bofur leaned in close to Nori waving his food-filled fork in that direction. "Is our wee hobbit-kitten glaring at Dwalin?" Bofur whispered softly to the thief.

A quick glance in the direction Bofur pointed had Nori smiling. "Indeed he is! I wonder if it's because Bilbo noticed the way Dwalin was looking at young Kili; we all know our hobbit is rather protective over the young ones." That was one of the things Nori had first liked about Bilbo; he had gone out of his way to look out for Kili, Fili and Ori from the very beginning. It was quite obvious from the body language they were observing that their little hobbit-kitten had seen the way Dwalin and Kili were looking at one another when they thought no one was looking and Bilbo clearly didn't like that at all.

Balin chuckled under his breath as he watched his brother growl and glare impotently at Bilbo who was happily snuggled against Kili's chest. He knew that no matter how angry or how jealous Dwalin became, he wouldn't do anything to hurt Bilbo; he didn't show it but his brother was rather fond of their hobbit. "It seems to me that you have a rather fierce protector to get past," Balin whispered softly to his brother; he knew full well that Dwalin had found his one in Kili. He also knew that no matter how deeply his feelings ran, his brother didn't plan on doing anything about them until after they reclaimed Erebor.

A gruff chuckle escaped Dwalin as he shook his head with wry amusement at the way Bilbo was still glaring at him. "It's good to see someone mothering those two little scamps, they need it. I can't really blame Bilbo for being overprotective and it's rather adorable to see a tiny kitten thinking he could keep me away!" Dwalin finished with another chuckle.

Balin had to admit that his brother had a valid point. "Don't forget that our hobbit-kitten has some razor-sharp claws and something tells me, brother mine, that he won't be afraid to use them on you." They were all still coming to realise there was so much more to their hobbit than they had yet discovered.

Dwalin stared at his brother as if he'd just grown a second head. "I think I can take on a wee hobbit-kitten; the creature isn't even as big as my left foot!"

Still settled in Kili's arms Bilbo's eyes narrowed with suspicion as he watched Dwalin and his brother whispering away. Oh yes, until he was sure of just exactly what this 'one' business was he was going to keep Dwalin far, far away from his Kili. Bilbo sighed deeply; from the way the younger dwarf was snuggling up to him, it that was going to be very hard to do.

TBC...


	4. Chapter 4

**Beta: **RoyalLadyEmma  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Hobbit, if I did it would have had a much happier ending.

**Chapter 4**

Bilbo knew that the dwarves were paranoid _before_ they'd arrived at Rivendell but it seemed that being among the elves had brought their paranoia to a whole new level of intensity. From the moment the troupe had arrived in the elf village, Bilbo hadn't been allowed to go _anywhere_ without a dwarf guard. Unlike when they were on the road and he'd been allowed to slip behind a tree to do his personal business, now there was a guard posted right outside the bathroom door. Both Fili and Kili had taken to spending the night in his room with him, taking turns sleeping on the floor against to the door just to make sure that no sneaky elves tried to make off with their hobbit-kitten in the dark. There were times when Bilbo couldn't help but feel it was all just a little too much but at the same time it made him feel like he was truly cared about and wanted by the dwarves and that sent a surge of warmth to his heart.

And if it made sticking close to Kili that much easier, well who was he to complain! After all, the dwarf prince must not have minded seeing as he was thoroughly enjoying playing with Bilbo instead of training with the others.

Fili and Kili could feel the death glares from the rest of the company and while normally that would have worried them, this time they couldn't help but send them smug looks as they continued to play with their hobbit-kitty. It wasn't their fault that Bilbo had chosen them and Ori to play with and no one else. Everyone knew that trying to tell Bilbo what to do and who to spend time with would be as useless as trying to herd trolls!

Even Thorin was casting glares upon them and while normally that would have them very worried they still couldn't help but be a little smug because it was no one's fault but their uncle's. They both knew that if he had been a little nicer to Bilbo then maybe it would be him their hobbit-kitty was snuggled against.

Ori adored Bilbo's new kitty form and even went as far as to knit him several tiny sweaters; the young dwarf feared that Bilbo might catch a cold from the drafts that seemed to be everywhere in the wild. It was clear from the way Bilbo snuggled down into their soft folds that he loved the warmth that they offered, and the fact that many of them just happened to be in the same shade of blue as Thorin's eyes, well that was something no one needed to know. And if Bilbo just happened to enjoy prancing around in front of everyone in his newest sweater, well that was just his right as an adorable hobbit-kitty.

While keeping Dwalin away from Kili, Bilbo spent more time than usual studying him, a task made easy because in his current diminutive size everyone around him overlooked him. The hobbit-kitty came to realise that something just wasn't right with Kili. For the past two days the young dwarf hadn't been himself; he rarely smiled and when he did it never touched his eyes, he picked at his food even though he was renowned for his hearty appetite and no matter what he was doing or who he was with Kili always seemed distracted, as though his mind was far away.

As the days passed Bilbo became more and more worried about Kili; the normally jovial dark-haired prince simply wasn't acting like his cheerful self and his mood only got worse whenever he spotted Dwalin. It didn't matter what was going on, the moment the young dwarf prince spotted Dwalin he would blush furiously and begin stammering before finally making a lame or ridiculous excuse as to why he had to leave so abruptly. It concerned the hobbit-kitty greatly that Kili was spending more and more time by himself and thankfully Bilbo knew that he wasn't the only one worried about Kili. Every chance he got, Fili tried his best to draw his brother out of the shell he was sinking into, and even the normally welcome offer of pulling pranks together wasn't working. When Bilbo heard that Kili wasn't at all interested in gluing Bombur to his chair at dinner time, the hobbit-kitty knew he had to act and fast, which was why he was seeking him out this very night.

Moving quickly and quietly on his little cat feet, it didn't take Bilbo long to locate his prey and he was not at all surprised to find Kili by himself seated on a bench overlooking the massive falls that surrounded Rivendell. The troubled young prince was so preoccupied with staring up at the night sky that he never noticed Bilbo's approach.

Lost in the sheer beauty of the star-filled sky, Kili was surprised to feel something nudge against his leg gently and he glanced down to find a worried looking Bilbo up at him. A tiny pathetic meow escaped the orange kitten's mouth as he struggled to climb into Kili's lap. Seeing Bilbo's dilemma Kili smiled indulgently as he picked up the hobbit-kitty and gently deposited him into his lap after a quick snuggle. Kili sighed; it was strangely comforting to bury his face in Bilbo's silky-soft fur and the kitten noticed that it took a moment before Kili set him down.

Once settled on his young friend's welcoming lap, Bilbo turned his attention to Kili, using his big eyes to silently ask the younger dwarf what was wrong. _'You can tell me, my friend,' _they seemed to say.

Kili looked from his hobbit-kitty back up to the sky and as he watched a shooting star streak through the darkness, he pondered the best way to say the words that had been on his mind for the past several days. "I'm think Dwalin is my One," he found himself blurting out.

With a tiny smile playing at his lips, Bilbo just looked at him calmly and with a knowing look in his eyes; he had known from the very start that the two were destined to be together. He'd seen the way that Kili looked at Dwalin but it was clear to him – and to most everyone else – that Kili had no idea that Dwalin looked back at him the same way. In fact Bilbo was convinced that the only thing stopping Dwalin from dragging Kili off and proving just how un-one-sided Kili's feelings really were was because Dwalin was afraid of what Thorin might do to him. That was why Bilbo wanted to keep them apart until Kili could realise that his crush was so much more than what he thought it was.

Bilbo wished that he could do more to reassure Kili but since he was still stuck in kitty form and only able to meow softly, all he could do was snuggle closer to the young dwarf. Turning his purr on full-strength and using his wee toes to gently knead Kili's leg, the transformed hobbit hoped that it was enough to reassure the young prince that he was there to listen and so he waited patiently for Kili to start speaking what is on his mind.

"I wish you could give me some advice." Kili sounded so sad that it hurt Bilbo's heart. "I don't know what to do. What could I possibly offer such an amazing and strong dwarf like Dwalin?"

Bilbo curled deeper into Kili's hold and continued to offer him what comfort he could. He didn't like seeing Kili so sad, _'and,'_ the hobbit-kitty thought with a tiny grin, _'even_ _his hair_ _is_ _drooping!'_ It all looked so very wrong on the normally effervescent and active dwarf. Bilbo's eyes narrowed as he came to a decision, he could not and would not let Kili suffer from what he thought was unrequited love any longer, especially since it wasn't one-sided. With a quick nod of his head, Bilbo knew exactly what to do; _'it's_ _time_ _I_ _use_ _all this_ _adorableness for good;_ _I'm going to play matchmaker!'_

Bilbo wished with all his might that he could speak again, even if just for a moment. He wanted to tell Kili that as a young dwarf he had _everything_ to offer Dwalin; he was a kind, gentle and loving soul, he was brave, creative and funny and Dwalin would be the luckiest man to in the world to have him. More importantly however, Bilbo wished he could tell Kili that Dwalin looked at him with the same intense emotions and longing whenever Kili wasn't looking.

_'Something needs to be done! Dwalin and Kili are just as bad as Fili and Ori! At least Nori and Bofur seem to have more sense where love and relationships are concerned, and I don't think anyone but me and maybe Nori know that Balin and Dori are together. Well it looks like it's up to this little hobbit-kitten to open the eyes of the others.' _Bilbo decided at that moment it was going to be up to him to get his stubborn dwarves together, trying to forget that he himself was falling for the most stubborn of them all.

* * *

Bofur watched as Bilbo moved throughout the halls of Rivendell with a determined look… well with as determined a look as a wee kitten can wear and set to his tiny body as he stalked towards his goals.

"I think our hobbit-kitten is up to something," Nori commented as he stepped out of the shadows resting his arm around his One's shoulders.

Bofur grinned up at his lover. "Aye, I just wonder what he's planning. And what could have caused him to act now?"

Nori rested his head on Bofur's shoulder. "Last night while we were out walking by the lake I noticed Kili sitting with Bilbo; I have a funny feeling that he confessed to Bilbo that Dwalin's his One."

"Really?" Bofur breathed excitedly. "I wondered when he'd figure it out!"

"Well, I'm pretty sure he did but the problem is, we both know how protective Bilbo is over Fili, Kili and Ori. He wants each one of them to be happy and I believe that hobbit-kitty or not, he'll do whatever it takes to make sure that happens," he explained.

Bofur wasn't going to even ask how their thief/spy had figured it all out; there was a reason why Dwalin could never catch Nori. "So our hobbit-kitten is going to be playing matchmaker," he grinned broadly. "This should be very interesting." He almost pitied Dwalin; Bilbo was one stubborn hobbit, kitten or not.

* * *

Like a proud feline warrior, Bilbo stalked through the halls of Rivendell with purpose in his every step, his ears pinned back and his eyes narrowed as he hunted down his prey. A triumphant hiss escaped his lips when his target was found and he crouched down low, his body quivering with anticipation, his tail snapping back and forth. Having whipped himself into a frenzy Bilbo arched his back, let out a ferocious war cry and pounced with everything he had in him.

Dwalin had no idea what hit him; one moment he had been talking to Thorin about how to make up the time they'd lost while staying at Rivendell and the next moment he heard an manic howl and then he had an angry hobbit-kitten landing on his head with its razor-sharp claws fully extended and digging into his scalp. A string of curses erupted from his lips as he stumbled back in shock. "Get off me, you demon cat!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs, batting uselessly at his head.

Desperate to maintain kingly control, Thorin pressed his lips together so tightly that he tasted blood in a vain attempt to keep himself from laughing at the sight of Bilbo hanging off the top of the dwarf's head with his tiny claws dug in while Dwalin danced around, cursing up a storm and trying in vain to remove Bilbo without hurting him.

Wincing as Bilbo dug in deeper for a better hold, Dwalin favoured Thorin with a dark glare. "Don't just stand there laughing at me, ye great oaf; get this blasted cat off of me!" Dwalin roared with frustration as he spun around uselessly.

Unable to keep his chuckles silent any longer Thorin's body shook with mirth and his chest rumbled with laughter as he tried to lift Bilbo off of Dwalin with very little success. Their hobbit-kitten was stubbornly hanging in there and he became even angrier and began hissing at Thorin for trying to remove his claws from where they were digging into Dwalin's head. Hearing the shuffling feet and giggles of laughter behind him, Thorin didn't even want to image what kind of spectacle they were making in the eyes of his company or in front those blasted elves!

Suddenly a soft voice came from out of the crowd, "Bilbo! Let Dwalin go!" Kili appeared out of nowhere and to everyone's amazement but most especially that of Dwalin and Thorin's, he easily plucked Bilbo off of Thorin's head. The moment he heard Kili's words, the hobbit-kitten released his claws and curled into Kili's arms.

Dwalin glared at the small hobbit-kitten, who merely gazed back innocently, for more than just the stinging in his scalp. "That is one crazy hobbit-kitten!" he muttered grumpily. "I think being a feline has finally gotten to him."

Kili had a pretty good idea what had caused Bilbo's behaviour and he felt his cheeks flush as he looked anywhere but at Dwalin. Bilbo glanced back and forth between the two and abruptly grew tired of unnecessary dancing around that had been going on. Determined to act on his earlier decision to take matters into his paws, he wiggled himself free from Kili's embrace Bilbo let out a small huff as he landed gracefully on his feet.

Nori watched with amused eyes as Bilbo darted around Kili's feet, weaving in and out between his legs; he knew what the hobbit-kitten was planning long before Kili finally tripped over his feet while trying to avoid stepping on Bilbo and ended up falling directly into Dwalin's open arms.

His work now done, Bilbo darted away as Dwalin caught Kili. He knew he hadn't harmed the dwarf, not that he set out to of course, he adored Kili and didn't wish to see him or any of his dwarves hurt.

Even though he was enjoying holding Kili in his arms, Dwalin reluctantly let him go. "Are you alright, lad?" he asked as he watched Kili regain his footing.

A dark blush painted itself across Kili's cheeks as he found his gaze locked onto Dwalin's and try as he might, he just couldn't tear himself away from the dwarf's eyes. "I'm fa… fine, no th… thanks to our hobbit-kitten," he stammered before finally forcing his gaze off of Dwalin's. Looking around he finally spotted his target and he shot Bilbo a look that clearly said 'We will speak later' and all he got in return was a rather satisfied meow from a rather smug-looking kitten.

Thorin finally figured out what Bilbo was up to when he caught sight of both the blush that appeared on Kili's cheeks as he talked to Dwalin and the way his oldest friend smiled down at his sister-son. Without realising it, the king let out a protective growl as his anger rose.

Bilbo saw the growing protective fury in Thorin's eyes and knew he had to act, fast. There was no way that he was going to let the stubborn and overprotective dwarf undo all his hard work; he had to put a stop to any and all interference right now!

Thorin never knew what hit him when a tiny ball of orange fluff flung itself onto his chest and dug its tiny claws into his shirt, piercing his skin in several places.

Bofur blinked as Thorin stumbled back into him with a tiny hissing Bilbo clinging to his shirt. "I think you've somehow made our hobbit-kitty mad," the highly amused dwarf cheerfully pointed out. He wouldn't admit it, but it was nice to see someone else on the receiving end of Bilbo's temper.

Not seeing the humour whatsoever, Thorin scowled ferociously at the other dwarf as he tried to untangle the furious kitten from his clothing but it was little use. Bilbo continued to hiss with all his might and at one point, he actually scratched him. "Bilbo! What in Smaug's name has gotten into you?"

Fili blanched at his uncle's furious roar; they rarely ever heard him swear and when he did it meant was that he was really, truly angry. Fili looked down at the tiny kitten that was hissing and fighting against Thorin's hold on him and then his eyes flickered over to where his brother and Dwalin were standing and a knowing look dawned in his eyes. With a satisfied nod, he announced, "Well it's about time! Kee was driving me _crazy_ with all his ridiculous pining over Dwalin!"

Hearing those words, Thorin froze for a moment and then slowly pivoted on his heel as he turned to face his sister-son. "You knew about this?" he asked in a dangerous tone.

Surprised by the question, Fili blinked at his uncle. "You didn't know that Kili and Dwalin are each other's Ones?" the blond-haired dwarf asked, true shock lacing his voice.

That particular piece of unexpected news stopped Thorin in his tracks and he blinked at his nephew, completely gobsmacked by the revelation. It took several moments before he was able to form a coherent sentence, "They are each other's Ones?"

Fili rolled his eyes and shook his head at his uncle's naiveté; it didn't surprise him as much as it should have that Thorin missed the way Kili and Dwalin looked at one another. After all, blind he was when it came to Bilbo and the looks the hobbit had been sending him whenever he thought no-one was looking. "Yes, Uncle, they are, and Bilbo just played a vital role in them getting together. He could see that you were about to get in the way and that's why he decided to stop you the only way he know how," Fili explained. He stepped closer to his uncle and the still furious hobbit-kitten clinging to the front of his shirt. "I think if you promise not to interfere with Kili and Dwalin's growing and changing relationship I can get Bilbo to let you go." He looked at his uncle hopefully.

All Thorin had ever wanted for his sister-sons was for them to be happy and as he cast a glance at his youngest nephew he saw a new light in his eyes, one intended solely for Dwalin and there was a peace in Dwalin's eyes that he hadn't seen in a very long time. Drawing a deep breath, Thorin accepted the truth of it all, "If they truly are each other's Ones then I shall not interfere," he turned his gaze to Bilbo, looking down on the angry ball of fur stuck to his chest, "you have my word."

Bilbo studied the dwarf through narrowed albeit thoughtful eyes and he could see that the dwarf spoke the truth; still he couldn't help but give a one last warning hiss before he allowed Fili to untangle his claws from Thorin's furs. Exhausted by the intensity of the last few minutes, Bilbo retracted his claws and with a small growl aimed at Thorin he curled up in Fili's arms and allowed the blond-haired dwarf to lead him away. Never had a wee hobbit-kitty needed a nap more than in that instance.

A low chuckle escaped Balin's lips at the sight of the glare that Thorin's was levelling at his nephew's back and when Thorin transferred the look to his old friend Balin merely shrugged. He was completely unfazed by the ferocity of the scowl that his prince was throwing his way.

"Don't glare at me, laddie; you're the one who kept Bilbo at arm's length," he laughed. "You're the one who didn't want to get to close to our hobbit and while I know you have a good reason, Bilbo does not understand. All he knows is you don't like him and as a hobbit-kitty he doesn't know any other way of expressing himself. Fili and Kili are different, they have never hidden how much they like Bilbo and they crave the way Bilbo looks after them. It's natural that when Bilbo sees them so happy he will do whatever he has to to protect them at all costs."

Thorin had indeed seen Bilbo's unfailing devotion to his nephews as well as the deep and abiding friendship that the three of them shared and it warmed his heart to the core. Still, he reflected grumpily, that didn't mean he liked the idea of Dwalin courting his youngest. "Right now I need to focus on why_ Dwalin_ did not tell me himself that he was Kili's One," Thorin growled under his breath as his eyes flashed.

Balin just shook his head with fond exasperation. "First of all, he said nothing because my brother knew you would react exactly like this and second, because he put the mission above his personal happiness, he planned on doing nothing about it until we reclaimed Erebor. But as you can see young Bilbo didn't like that plan at all so he took matters into his own han… ah… paws. Please believe me when I tell you that all he wants is for Kili and Fili to find true love and to be happy; after all he considers them family and their happiness is very important to Bilbo, just as Bilbo's happiness is important to them." Balin patiently explained the situation to his old friend, wondering if Thorin realised just how close Bilbo truly was to his nephews.

"I am not blind, Balin," Thorin snapped irritably. "I see the way that my nephews act around Bilbo and how the hobbit acts around them and while I shall not deny them a friendship with him, neither will I interfere between Kili and Dwalin's relationship. But I do not have time for or interest in such foolishness as love. All that matters to me is reclaiming Erebor."

Balin could only shake his head sadly as Thorin turned on his heel and stalked away. "You stubborn fool, there is more to a home than four walls and a roof, just as piles of gold will not keep you warm at night. I hope that Bilbo will be able to make you see that soon."

TBC...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Refreshed from his nap and a tasty snack, and happy that he could help Dwalin and Kili, Bilbo strutted proudly through the halls a little bounce in his steps and his tail held high.

"Well, look who's all full of himself this afternoon," Bofur grinned down at the hobbit-kitty. "A might fine job you did there with Dwalin and Kili; I didn't think those two would ever get together. Now how would you like to play matchmaker for another Prince?"

Cocking his head to the side Bilbo studied Bofur for a moment as though weighing his offer and then he let out a tiny meow of agreement. He was interested in what Bofur had to say and he stretched upwards on his back legs, pressing his front paws against Bofur's leg.

Grinning Bofur reached down and petted Bilbo, his smile growing with delight as Bilbo purred loudly and leaned into his touch. The hobbit-kitty's pleasure was interrupted when Bofur's hand slowed to a stop and the dwarf said, "Well, why don't you take a look over that way," and he nodded his head left.

Curious about what had caught Bofur's attention, Bilbo turned in that direction and what he saw made his little hobbit-kitten heart want to melt. Sitting under a tree Ori was absorbed in a book, the sunlight playing across his hair making him glow, while across from him seated on a bench Fili was sharpening his knives and the sun falling upon his golden locks made him seem ethereal. But what really touched Bilbo's heart was the way they would steal glances at one another when they were sure that the other wasn't looking.

"It would seem that young Ori and Fili have found their Ones in each other but are not aware that the other knows. I don't think either one plans on saying anything so I thought as our resident matchmaker you might like the lend a paw," Bofur suggested.

Bilbo gave Bofur a look that screamed 'leave everything to me' before turning around and walking away with a saucy switch to his tail; he had prey to study and a plan to set in motion.

Bofur watched as the hobbit-kitten moved silently and stealthily through the grass. "Thorin isn't going to know what hit him when you decide to go after him; that will be interesting to see."

* * *

One thing that Bilbo had noticed during the time he had been a kitten was that Ori loved to knit; it was something that Bilbo was looking forward to discussing once he was back to normal. _'Plus,' _he reminded himself, _'I have to say thank you.'_ Not only had Ori taken to knitting him little sweaters, which Bilbo adored, Ori had also given him a ball of yarn to play with and even though it was a cliché, the hobbit-kitty simply loved rolling around with and chasing after that toy. Since everyone was used to seeing him frolicking with the yarn ball, it formed the nucleus of Bilbo's plan. He hadn't been sure about his feelings towards the dwarves when he'd first met them but they'd grown on him with time, and most dear to him were Bofur, Kili, Fili and Ori. _'And one certain dwarf that is far too stubborn to see what is right before his eyes.' _Try as he might, Bilbo knew that his feelings for Thorin weren't as hidden as he liked to pretend they were and he also knew that it would take miracle to get Thorin to admit that he felt anything for him. Fortunately, Bilbo wasn't one to give up, and it would seem Thorin had a soft spot for his current form.

_'First I get Fili and Ori together, then I get to work on Thorin,' _Bilbo declared with a nod of his furry head.

Snuggling in the grass with his One, Dwalin watched Bilbo sneak away. "I'm not sure I like that plotting look in our hobbit-kitty eyes," he told Kili as the younger dwarf cuddled against his side.

Kili grinned knowingly. He had a lot of faith in their hobbit, after all Bilbo did help him get his stubborn dwarf and while he might have been wrapped up in his feelings for Dwalin he wasn't so blind as to miss seeing that his brother had found his One in Ori. "I think Bilbo has a new pair to play matchmaker for and I would think that you would be happy that it is going to keep Bilbo away from the elves," Kili pointed out cheekily.

Dwalin was torn between groaning and laughing at whoever Bilbo chose to target next. "I don't like those tree huggers hogging our hobbit," he admitted, "and I certainly don't like having to deal with a grumpy Thorin. He's been in such a foul mood ever since we got here just because Bilbo is so in awe of them."

Kili nuzzled closer to Dwalin and tickled his fingers across his belly. "Well I don't think you have long to deal with a grumpy uncle, not if Bilbo has anything to do with it; he seems more determined than ever to get uncle's attention while he's still a kitty," Kili said in hopes of cheering the older dwarf up.

That got Dwalin to laugh. It was true Bilbo seemed much braver now that he was a kitten, he'd had no qualms about hissing and clawing Thorin when the dwarf king had pushed him too far. Dwalin nodded his head in agreement as he captured Kili's hand and entwined their fingers. "Thorin can be a stubborn one but I think he's met his match in our hobbit. It will be an interesting show to see which one of them breaks first."

"My money is on Bilbo, Uncle hasn't stood a chance against him since they met. I've never seen Uncle so baffled by anyone." Kili grinned, he knew that Thorin didn't know what to think of their hobbit. Of course it didn't help that he had been so soft and cuddly that neither he nor Fili had been able to resist curling up next to Bilbo when he was still his hobbit self and that action had earned them several dirty looks from their uncle.

"Aye, Thorin is stubborn but I think that even as a kitten, Bilbo can out stubborn him. I'm willing to bet that before we leave Rivendell they will be together. That means you can stop cuddling up to our hobbit in attempts at making Thorin jealous, cause he wasn't the only one who didn't like it," Dwalin growled out his last few words as he tugged Kili in for a searing kiss.

There was no protest from Kili as he went willing, after all that had also be a part of his plan and from the way Dwalin was kissing him making him jealous seemed to work very well.

* * *

The next day everyone knew something was up when not one of them could find Bilbo. The hobbit-kitten had disappeared completely, not even showing up for breakfast, and it was a struggle for Thorin to keep his growing panic off of his face when he realised that Bilbo was missing. It didn't help one little bit that Elrond didn't seem at all fazed that such a small creature was lost in Rivendell and he dismissed their fears with a wave of his hand.

"I would not worry so much about the kitten Thorin." Elrond tilted his head towards a patch of grass that was just barely moving and if you looked closely enough a brief flash of orange could be seen.

All his senses on alert, Bilbo moved through the grass as carefully as he could, doing his very best to not make a sound. Spotting his targets, he paused beneath the broad leaves of a shade-loving Hosta for a moment to gather his thoughts and then, crouching low, he wiggled his tail ferociously and then he pounced on his prey.

"Hey, look," Balin nudged the dwarf king in the ribs and nodded to their left. "I think our dear hobbit-kitty is playing matchmaker, again," he casually informed Thorin. With broad smiles on their faces they watched Bilbo dance wildly around Ori and Fili's feet with the yarn ball he had in his mouth, effectively tying their legs together causing the two dwarves to become a tangled mess.

Fili's eyes narrowed as he looked down and saw the knot their hobbit-kitty had created; he had seen Bilbo pull a similar trick when he had gotten Kili and Dwalin together. But truth be told, he didn't really mind now that he'd gotten Ori in his arms.

Thorin blinked with amusement as he watched his oldest nephew flail about like a rickety windmill trying to keep himself steady while at the same time trying not to trip over the small kitty. The task proved far more difficult than it should have been given that his legs were thoroughly tangled up in yarn. "Why?" Thorin found himself asking.

Completely bewildered by the question, Balin felt his jaw drop as he gawped at his king. "Laddie, even _you_ can't be that blind!" When Thorin merely stared at him with a completely clueless expression, Balin found himself shaking his head in absolute disbelief. _'How can a man so wise in other things be so ignorant about love?_' he wondered. Drawing on a well of patience he didn't realise he had, he finally said, "Watch the others and you'll see." He patted a confused Thorin on the shoulder before taking his leave of his king pondering how long it would take for Thorin to figure out that both his nephews had found their One's. _'It might be a while till he realises that, seeing as he hasn't even realised what we all know, that being Bilbo is his One.' _

Kili felt a smile tugging at his lips as he watched his normally cool older brother flail helplessly about as Bilbo continued to dance around Fili and Ori's feet. "Just give up, Fee!" he advised as he giggled at his brother's antics. "Bilbo won't stop until you and Ori kiss, we all know you're each other's Ones!" Kili called out helpfully much to the amusement of the others.

As if to voice his agreement Bilbo stopped what he was doing and meowed cheerfully up at Fili and Ori, as though agreeing with Kili. That was all the blond dwarf needed to hear as he scooped Bilbo up and held the mischievous-looking hobbit-kitty at eye level. "You won't stop until I admit it, will you?" Fili questioned.

Bilbo's honey-coloured eyes sparkled with silent laughter as he gave Fili a look that clearly said 'not on your life!'

Fili's eyes narrowed and his shoulders sagged as he came to the inevitable conclusion. "I can't believe that I'm taking orders from a wee hobbit-kitty."

"Um... you don't have to admit anything; I admit that I'm not the best choice of mate for a brave warrior such as yourself." Ori spoke softly but his words caught Bilbo's attention.

Bilbo shot Fili a scathing look that screamed 'now look what you have done! Fix this! Fix it right now!' But Fili wasn't paying Bilbo any attention; he was staring at his One, horrified by the words coming from Ori.

"Ori, I would be more than lucky to have someone as amazing as you as my One. If anyone is not worthy of being with someone it's me. I'm a prince without a kingdom and you deserve so much better than me. But if you were with someone else then I would have to rip the head off of anyone who would dare to touch you," Fili growled becoming possessive over his One. "You are mine, Ori. Mine!"

Thrilled beyond measure at those impassioned words, Ori smiled shyly up at Fili and then, gathering his courage, he surged forward and kissed Fili on the lips. Both dwarves completely forgot about the small kitten now trapped in Fili's arms as the blond dwarf wholeheartedly returned the kiss.

"Perhaps someone should rescue poor wee Bilbo before he is crushed." Balin gave Thorin a pointed look that clearly stated '_You_ should rescue Bilbo,' and then he emphasised the message by nodded toward the kissing duo.

At that very moment a plaintive meowing could be heard and so Kili, already worry about his poor hobbit-kitty, did not wait for his uncle to get a clue and move. Darting forth he pushed his hands between the two bodies and snagged Bilbo from Fili's slackening hold. Having gotten Bilbo to safety before he was dropped Kili snuggled in face in the soft orange fur. "Good work, Bilbo," he whispered softly, giving Bilbo's ears a little rub.

Bilbo let out a happy purr nuzzling closer to Kili. He was rather proud of a job well done, even if he did say so himself. Mission accomplished; two down and one to go.

Standing next to Thorin Balin forced himself not to react when he distinctly heard Thorin let out a deep, possessive growl at the sight of his nephew cuddling his hobbit! _'Ah!' _he thought, _'perhaps someone is finally beginning to understand how he feels.'_

Still chuckling over what had just happened, Dwalin joined Kili and Bilbo and immediately found himself the focus of Bilbo's pleading eyes. Cursing himself for being an old softie he gently took the kitten from Kili, allowing the hobbit to settle himself up on the safety of Dwalin's shoulders.

Bilbo proudly sat high upon Dwalin's shoulders taking in the sights, clearly pleased that his new perch allowed him to see a great deal of Rivendell. As a hobbit-kitty who was only a few inches tall, all he ever got to see were feet, lots and lots of feet. As he inhaled deeply, Bilbo had to admit that the world even smelled better when you were way up high.

Dwalin tried, he really did, not to cast a smug smile at Thorin, he knew he shouldn't gloat while his king and friend was sulking and feeling miserable, but he just couldn't help it. Out of everyone there, Bilbo had chosen him to carry his furry little personage about. "Maybe if you had been a bit nicer to our hobbit when you had the chance, our hobbit-kitty would have ridden with you." Dwalin couldn't help but point out what he thought was the obvious. Unfortunately, being helpful did nothing more than earn him a fierce scowl from Thorin in response. The idea that he was rather enjoying rubbing the whole situation in his king's face while bringing a smile to Kili's face did cross Dwalin's mind for a moment, but when the younger dwarf leaned into his side and kissed his cheek, the idea instantly disappeared. Dwalin knew he had a truly sappy look on his face as he gazed down at his One, but he couldn't help it, Kili was really his. His forever.

A cheerful meow from his tiny passenger proved that Dwalin wasn't the only one happy he and Kili had gotten together and a quick glance at his shoulder told Dwalin that if he wasn't mistaken Bilbo was looking more than a little smug for having his plans working so well. "Aye, just don't get a big head or I won't be able to carry you anymore," Dwalin joked as he stroked Bilbo's back.

Bilbo scoffed as best a hobbit turned kitten could scoff, he was most certainly not going to let anything go to _his_ head!

Shifting his gaze from the happy trio of Dwalin, Kili and Bilbo, Balin took in the sight of his very unhappy king. "It won't be that easy to win your One's heart, you know," he informed Thorin with a knowing look in his eyes. All he got in response was a scruff snort as Thorin continued to glare daggers at Dwalin petting and talking to the hobbit-kitty.

It was a rare sight Balin was witness to as Thorin choked on air and stumbled over his own feet. "Did you really think you were fooling anyone?" It was a hard question, but there was a note of kindness in it as well. "I've known you a long time, Thorin, and the only reason you would treat Bilbo the way you did was because you were afraid of letting your feelings for him show. I'm sure by now even the others know but not Bilbo, so you, my old friend, are going to have a lot of work ahead of you to get Bilbo's attention. I don't see our hobbit-kitten making the first move." Balin patted Thorin on the arm. "Believe me when I say that there is more to life than revenge and treasure and I know for a fact that Bilbo would be a good fit for you." Balin told his prince. "You deserve to be happy just like the rest of us," and then he asked a question that only one's truest and oldest friend could ask. "If the very worst happens and we never recover Erebor, do you plan to punish yourself by remaining alone forever?"

Balin's words burned straight into Thorin's soul and he searched the wound they opened. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life watching everyone else around him being happy with their Ones. With a deep sigh of acceptance, he let his eyes drift over to Bilbo and he felt something in his heart melt as he watched bat playfully at Kili's hand. Ever since he'd laid eyes on the hobbit he had felt his heart beginning to melt and feel something other than the need to reclaim his kingdom and until that moment, he hadn't been sure what to do with those feelings. Now he realised that he was going to have to learn how to sooner than later.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

After playing matchmaker for Ori and Fili, Bilbo wandered off on his own for a bit, wanting to see more of Rivendell and if he got a few cuddles from the elves along the way, well then that just made Bilbo happy. But he had to admit that it felt odd to be in the arms of the elves, not warm and welcoming like home the way it was when he was with one of his dwarves.

Eventually Bilbo found himself at the same bench by the river where he'd talked to Fili and as he settled himself down for a nice nap in the sunshine, the hobbit-kitty began to think. _'This is nice and all but there is only one dwarf I want cuddles from and he's too stubborn to act on what we both want. If Thorin won't take the first step then it will have to be me who does it.' _He gave a tiny kitty shrug,_ 'After all it can't be that much harder than it was deciding to join this quest.' _With a firm nod of his head Bilbo began making his own plans; he had a dwarf king to get cuddles from.

It turned out that Balin had been wrong about Bilbo not making a move; it was the hobbit-kitten who bravely took the first step that changed his relationship with Thorin.

Bilbo could see that his adoration of the elves and theirs of him was upsetting his dwarves and he didn't want that, he could see the tension building in Thorin's frame as the elves continued to coo over him. While the elves' attention was nice and all, and the creatures he'd heard so much about were everything Bilbo had hoped they would be, he didn't want to alienate his new dwarf's friends.

Bilbo knew that it was wrong of him to use his unusual kitty status as a way to get close to Thorin but as his normal self he would never have had the courage to do so, he was just too afraid of rejection from Thorin but who in their right mind could reject an adorable kitten.

It took an innocent day of play for Thorin and Bilbo to make any progress in forming their relationship.

Silently Bilbo stalked his prey, his eyes locked on his target as he moved with stealth across the grassy train; his small body crouched low to the ground, his ears flat against his head as he neared his target.

Bilbo's silent stalking did not go unnoticed by everyone, well everyone but his prey. Dwalin felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth as he watched Bilbo arch his tiny body and pounce.

Thorin glanced down as he heard a tiny yowl and raised an eyebrow as Bilbo pounced on his shoe and began to do battle with the ties. A long-suffering sigh escaped the dwarf king's lips as he reached down and batted at the hobbit-kitty's paw, but he secretly enjoyed the fact that Bilbo seemed to like to play with him the most.

Kili rubbed his eyes and then again and again just to make sure he wasn't seeing things, but no, his eyes were not playing tricks on him. Thorin was indeed playing with Bilbo and thoroughly enjoying it judging by the huge smile on his face, while the small kitten was attacking his shoe with vengeance, growling and spitting like a big kitty. What was even more surprising was how comfortable and natural the two were with one another, as though they'd been friends forever.

Kili was torn between making his presence known and spoiling the happy scene and sneaking away quietly to find Dwalin, leaving the two in peace. Deciding that Thorin deserved all the joy he could get at, Kili turned and crept away quietly. _'I hope Uncle appreciates me leaving him alone with Bilbo, just don't mess this up, uncle.' _Kili knew Bilbo had helped him and Dwalin find happiness and he just hoped that his uncle would finally see the way Bilbo looked at him.

* * *

Thorin couldn't remember the last time he had felt so young and carefree after enjoying a day of play with Bilbo. True, there had been times when he had grown distant and lost in the thought that his nephews had never had that kind of freedom but Bilbo would sense his melancholy and he would pounce on him and pull him out of those thoughts.

Bilbo was the happiest hobbit-kitten in the world; he had gotten Thorin to play with him! Even if the dwarf king hadn't picked him up and cuddled him as hoped, Bilbo still considered the day a huge win. He even had a new plan in mind that was sure to get cuddles from Thorin, it was time for him to break out his secret weapon.

Pawing frantically at Thorin's cloak in order to get his attention, Bilbo turned a set of sweet, hopeful eyes up at his intended One, wanting so much to be lifted up and carried by the majestic dwarf king.

Thorin swallowed hard as he looked down at the small orange kitty who was flashing the biggest set of honey-coloured eyes up at him. _'What does he want me_ _to do?'_

"For heaven's sake, WILL you just pick up the small kitten already?" Dwalin growled with true exasperation from his spot next to Thorin. He couldn't understand how Thorin was resisting such an adorable sight when it was taking every ounce of his self-control not to reach out and just snatch the hobbit-kitty up in his own arms. Once Bilbo and Thorin were busy keeping each other company he could seek out Kili; he had plans for his One that involved just the two of them, the nearest soft surface and absolutely no clothing.

A tiny pitiful meow escaped Bilbo's mouth as he pawed at Thorin's cloak a second time. _'Why don't you want to_ _hold me?'_ his eyes seemed to asked as they grew sadder with each moment that passed and he was still on the ground.

Dwalin pinned his king with a fearsome look. "If you don't pick him up, then I will," he warned in his most severe voice.

That implied threat earned him a dark growl but it did work as Thorin bent down and carefully scooped up the tiny hobbit-kitty into his hands; he was amazed and terrified to see that Bilbo fit perfectly in the palm of his hand. "He's so small," Thorin admitted softly as he carefully ran his fingers through Bilbo's soft fur. "He's perfect."

Bilbo let out a happy purr as Thorin's strong yet calloused fingers ran through his fur and he curled up happily in Thorin's hand, letting his purr vibrate through Thorin's hand.

Dwalin glanced down at the hobbit-kitty in Thorin's hand. "Aye he is at that and that's why it's important that we take good care of our hobbit-kitty. Who knows what kind of dangers and adventures someone so small could get into!"

That statement had Thorin stiffening with alarm; in his mind he had already seen many of the dangers that someone as small as his hobbit could get into. In fact trolls particularly sprang to mind – they were such a cruel, devious breed – and he didn't even want to imagine the many perils both great and small that their very helpless hobbit-kitty could get into.

Dwalin grinned at the fiercely protective look that appeared in Thorin's eyes, he knew that it would now be a hard-fought battle for anyone else to get time alone with the hobbit-kitty with Thorin hovering so possessively around Bilbo. _'Good, it's about time Thorin got a clue as to how our hobbit burglar feels about him. Any more of this pining and I was going to lock them in a room together.' _Of course Dwalin was well aware that they really couldn't do anything about increasing the intimacy of their relationship while Bilbo was still a hobbit-kitten but the foundation would be there when Bilbo returned to normal and they were finally able and ready to take the next step.

"I knew that our hobbit was special but I didn't realise how special," Balin murmured in wonder as he watched the ravages of time and hardship fade from Thorin's face the more time he spent with Bilbo.

Kili grinned brightly as he looked at his brother and poked him in the ribs. "Well it looks like we will be getting an Auntie Bilbo after all."

Fili matched his brother's mischievous grin. "Aye! I can't wait until he doesn't have sharp claws anymore and we can start calling him Auntie."

"Do I even want to know why ye lads plan on calling Bilbo Auntie?" Nori asked with a knowing eyebrow.

"Simple, Bilbo's all motherly and Auntie Bilbo sounds much better than Uncle Bilbo," Kili explained logically.

"And I suppose it has nothing to do with the fact that Bilbo loves the two of you like you were his own or the fact that he would actually allow you to call him if it makes you happy," Bofur offered up with sage wisdom.

Something softened in the brother's expressions as they watched their uncle carefully cradle the hobbit-kitten to his chest they could see his lips moving as he talked to Bilbo but they couldn't hear what he was saying. "Auntie Bilbo is something very special, we both know that; he makes uncle happy and I know mum is going to adore him," Fili stated with a pleased smile.

Balin bit back his own laugh. Oh if he knew Lady Dis, and he liked to think he did, he was sure she was going to adore Bilbo and not only for how sincerely he loved her son but also for the pure happiness he brought Thorin. "You do know that two will never be able to get away with anything ever again, right? Bilbo will be keeping a close eye on you both."

As the awful truth of what Balin just said came crashing down on Fili and Kili and they realised with growing horror that Balin was right, they looked at one another with deep sorrow in their eyes. Once they got their head together, Bilbo and their mother would be a force to reckon with and that was enough to ruin any truly fun mischief they might come up with in the future.

* * *

Bilbo was a happy, happy hobbit turned kitten; at long last he had finally gotten his cuddles from Thorin and the dwarf was just as warm as he thought he would be. But as the moon drew higher in the sky and more stars came out Bilbo had a new problem: where to sleep. Ever since he'd begun travelling with a group he didn't like sleeping alone and before Thorin's acceptance of him it hadn't been a problem, he'd slept in either Kili or Fili's rooms. But now that option seemed unlikely, given the smouldering looks that Dwalin was giving Kili when he dragged the younger dwarf off. Bilbo did not want to interrupt them and Fili and Ori had already taken off for the night.

_'I guess I could sleep in Balin's room... or…' _Bilbo knew exactly where he wanted to sleep and a quick glance around showed him that Thorin was still in deep conversation with Balin which meant there was just enough time for him to sneak his way into Thorin's room where the king's nice big bed was waiting for an exhausted hobbit-kitten to lay his head down on.

Only Gandalf noticed Bilbo slinking off through the shadows and he had a pretty good idea as to where he was going. _'Things are moving along nicely, if I do say so myself.' _Gandalf smiled innocently as he caught a knowing look cast his way by Elrond.

Ever since that eventful morning, Elrond had continued to wonder if Bilbo really had been hit accidently by the wizard's spell but now, having seen the self-satisfied smile on the old man's face, he had no real doubts left. _'Playing matchmaker are we? I do hope that you know what you are doing, Gandalf.'_

* * *

It was a sight that could melt anyone's heart and Thorin was no different. Somehow Bilbo had gotten into his room, climbed up onto his bed and was currently sound asleep curled up in a tiny ball in the middle of his blankets. Thorin refuse to admit that he wished that Bilbo was back to his normal self and was waiting in his bed for a whole other reason; he would not think those kinds of thoughts while his Bilbo was currently trapped as a kitten. "Good night, Bilbo," Thorin whispered as he gave the sleeping kitten one last scratch before getting ready for bed and as he slipped beneath the covers he couldn't resist pulling Bilbo's small form closer, making sure that the kitten was warm enough.

That night things changed between Bilbo and Thorin. It wasn't an odd sight to see Bilbo riding high upon Thorin's shoulder as he went about his daily duties, and the kitten had a new room to sleep in and Bilbo had never slept better than when curled up on Thorin's chest. Slowly but surely the two of them were growing closer to one another.

As Thorin slept peacefully with Bilbo's kitten form nestled on his chest, neither noticed when Bilbo began to glow and stretch and it didn't take long before his kitten form changed back into his hobbit form. Neither woke as Bilbo curled in deeper against Thorin's chest and Thorin's arms tightened around his hobbit in his sleep.

That following morning Thorin awoke not to the furry orange hobbit-kitten that had crawled into his bed the previous night, instead he had a very naked hobbit curled up alongside his front. The dwarf king swallowed hard as he forced his eyes to stare at the spot above Bilbo's head and not on the naked treat offered to him. "Bilbo, wake up," Thorin murmured softly as he traced the outline of Bilbo's pointed ears.

"Don't want to, to warm and comfortable," Bilbo mumbled sleepily as he snuggled in closer.

Thorin couldn't resist temptation and let his hands trail down the naked flank, touching and memorizing every inch of Bilbo's body. Satisfied that he would always remember the precious moment, he whispered, "My hobbit, you're back to normal." To prove his point Thorin squeezed Bilbo's delectable behind.

Feeling a strong hand fondling his bottom Bilbo's eyes flew open with surprise. "Thorin!" the hobbit managed to squeak out in a horrified and embarrassed voice. The sound earned a laugh and a mischievous look from the dwarf who continued to look at him hungrily. Bilbo could only blink in amazement at what he saw in Thorin's eyes before he glanced down at himself and saw that not only was he back to normal but that he was stark naked. To make matters worse, he was actually laying on top of Thorin who was only wearing his night clothing.

Seeing the sudden mix of panic, confusion, desire and excitement in Bilbo's eyes Thorin knew that he had a choice to make: either let Bilbo go and destroy any chance they had together or act on what was sure to make him happy.

Another squeak escaped Bilbo's lips as he found himself rolled over beneath Thorin and he could only blink with surprise and delight at the dwarf hovering over him. "You are mine, Bilbo, and have been from the very moment we met. I refused to accept what I knew to be true, that you were my One, and I'm sorry. I thought giving in to love while we were on such an important quest would make me weak but I was wrong," Thorin admitted. "Can you forgive me for being so foolish?"

"It's about time, you stubborn dwarf," Bilbo muttered gruffly as he pulled Thorin into a searing kiss before the dwarf could change his mind.

Growling into the kiss Thorin deepened it with growing hunger; there was no way that he was going to let Bilbo slip through his fingers.

* * *

By the time that Bilbo and Thorin found the strength to leave their room Bilbo was deliciously sore in places that he'd never been sore before but he was deliriously happy and made no attempts to hide the marks Thorin had left on his neck. He found he rather enjoyed Thorin's possessive side and the need to mark him so there would be no question whatsoever that Bilbo belonged to him.

The sound of approaching footsteps and twin cries of "Bilbo!" pulled the hobbit out of his rather bawdy memories, leaving him barely enough time to brace himself as Kili and Fili flung themselves at him.

"You're back to normal!" "You're not furry anymore!" "When did you change?" "Do you miss being tiny?" "Not that we didn't love your hobbit-kitten self…" "…we just really missed you." Kili and Fili both spoke at a rapid-fire rate, talking over one another, knowing that they were babbling but they just couldn't help it. Bilbo was back and by the happy and contented look in his eyes as he grinned back at the boys, he really was their uncle now.

Laughing at his energetic welcome back, Bilbo smiled and hugged the boys as best as he could with them clinging to him like sticky Swizzin vines. "It's good to be back and yes, I enjoyed my time as your hobbit-kitten; it was fun to play around all the time, but I really missed this. No way could my kitten self handle being hugged like this! Now I've missed the big breakfast but I'm still in time for second breakfast if you two would let me up."

It took some effort and coaxing for Kili and Fili to release Bilbo and they did so while giving him their very best pouts. "Come along, you can join me," Bilbo offered, unable to take their sad eyes and long faces.

Thorin walked up at that moment, intent on taking his One to breakfast, and upon hearing the invitation he groaned loudly. The brothers shot a smug, self-satisfied look at their uncle who was growling slightly at having to share Bilbo so soon. However, whether he liked it or not, he didn't have much of a choice but to share his hobbit with his nephews.

* * *

Second breakfast was an interesting affair. Fili and Kili childishly insisted on claiming the spots next to their hobbit forcing Thorin to sit across the table from Bilbo. It was rather amusing to watch Thorin send glares at his nephews in between bites of food, and it didn't take long for Dwalin and Ori to join them. Despite repeated requests from the others to have a turn sitting next to their restored hobbit, Fili and Kili still refused to give up their spots, not that it bothered Bilbo. He was too busy enjoying proper food and being able to feed himself rather than eating what the dwarves and elves thought he'd like to have. Bilbo let out a happy sigh as he finished eating, he was back to normal, had a tummy full and more importantly he now had Thorin in his life.

A small but knowing smile graced Gandalf's face as he observed the new couples. _'Well it seems my plan was a success after all and all it took was for Bilbo to be hit by an accidental spell.' _This worked out better than he had hoped; love was always stronger than evil and he knew full well that they would need that every bit of that strength to face the gold curse and Smaug himself, and if it wasn't then Gandalf could always turn them all into kittens until they seen sense.

The End


End file.
